Improved trace-buckle



'i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WESLEY DENTON, OF PARIS,`ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED TRAChE-BUCKLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,098, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN W. DENTON, of Paris, Edgar county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trace-Buckle; Vand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication.

My invention relates to an improved form of buckle or latchet for fastening the traces and other parts of harness, &c.

Figure l is a perspective view of portions of a trace and hame-tug provided with my improvement. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof, the buckle being unlatched. i

A is a metallic cheek, havingbars a a, by which it is secured to the rear end of the haine-tug B. Hinged to the cheek at D is a clamp, E, to which is hinged a tongue, F, Whose oblique prong fis adapted to enter'and fill either one of a series of oblique holes in the trace M.

A spring, N, attached to the tongue F and extending rearward, bears on the side of the trace, and acts to hold the prong j' securelyV in the hole and to prevent accidental disengagement.

The act of buckling is performed by inserting the end of the trace underneath the tongue (see Fig. 3,) and sliding it forward until .the prong drops into the desired hole. (See Fig. 2.) The prong being once engaged, any strain brought upon the trace tepds merely to bind the heel f of the Vtongue more iirmly 4upon the trace, and to grasp the latter between the said heel and the lip a of the cheek A, .thus relieving the part weakened bythe hole-ofa large portion of strain.

For unbuckling, the trace is again pushed forward so as to release the prong, (see Fig. 3,) and the latter, being momentarily upheld by the operator, enables the trace to be withdrawn.

The loops Gr and H upon the cheek are for attachment of the back and belly bands, respectively, and the loop I of the clamp serves for attachment of the breaching-strap.

Among a number of decided advantages of my buckle over the common forms are the following:

The trace is kept entirely straight, and aequires no kinked or curved form, liable to throw the strain unequally upon the separate plies of which a trace is composed, and which, having taken their set,render the unbuckling a matter of great labor.

The clamping of the trace between the tongue and cheek relieves the prong and the part of the trace weakened by its passage of a less or greater proportion of the strain, according to the load applied.

I claim herein as new and of my inventionl. The cheek A, clamp E, and tongue F, arranged and adapted to operate as set forth.

2. In combination with the elements of the clause immediately preceding, the spring N, attached to the heel of the tongue, and operating as set forth.

In testimony of which invent-ion I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN WESLEY DENTON.

Witnesses GEO. DOLE, S. A. WHITsELL. 

